Compromised masculinities: issues surrounding rape and sexual torture of men in conflict situations

Abstract

This thesis explores media reporting on wartime sexual violence against men, set against commonly-held notions of gender and masculinity, to uncover how male sexual victimization is constructed and discussed. A discourse analysis of several daily newspapers was conducted. Findings show that there was little sustained discussion to analyse; martial sexual violence against men was referred to more often than expected, but descriptions were fleeting and limited in terms of the information provided. An examination of media reporting on female rape during conflicts emerged from this analysis, and we see a clear difference in the way the media reports about sexual victimization of male and female victims. It was concluded that the way in which male and female sexual victimization is reported is influenced and shaped by gender stereotypes, contains gendered language, and contributes to the perpetuation of both male and female rape myths.